The present invention relates to an assembly for adjusting the height of a gripping mechanism on a machine for molding glass articles, in particular, a so-called I.S. machine.
As is known, I.S. machines comprise a number of molding sections, each comprising a rough mold, a finish mold, and a transfer assembly for gripping the glass articles formed in the finish mold and transferring them onto a supporting surface of the machine.
Known transfer assemblies comprise an upright supporting a gripping device, wherein at least one normally pincer-type gripping head is located over the supporting surface to grip one or more glass articles, and is movable between a gripping position and a release position, in which the transferred glass articles are released, by means of a pneumatic actuator housed in a cavity beneath the supporting surface.
The height of the gripping head with respect to the supporting surface must be adjusted alongside changes in the size and shape of the glass articles, which, on I.S. machines, are normally produced in different lots. And this is done by the operator manually raising or lowering the head, normally using locators or fixtures selected according to the article being produced.
Known transfer assemblies of the above type have various drawbacks, all due to the way in which the height of the gripping head is adjusted. That is, adjustment must be made manually by an operator, who must first of all have detailed knowledge of the type of article to be produced, and who, for each gripping head on the machine, must make a rough adjustment using, for example, the relative locators, followed by a fine adjustment and a careful check of the new position. Adjusting the height of the gripping heads thus involves a good deal of time and cost, the cost factor being further compounded by a number of operators normally being assigned to making the adjustment, and all with no guarantee that, in the end, all the gripping heads are at the same height.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an assembly for adjusting the height of a gripping mechanism, designed to provide a straightforward, reliable solution to the above problem, and which, at the same time, is compact and easy to assemble and disassemble to and from the machine.
According to the present invention, there is provided an assembly for adjusting the height of a gripping mechanism on a machine for molding glass articles; the assembly comprising a stand, in turn comprising a connecting portion for connection to a structure of said machine, and a supporting portion for a gripping head for gripping the glass articles; actuating means for moving, in use, said gripping head between a gripping position and a release position in which the glass articles are released onto a supporting surface for supporting the glass articles; and adjusting means for adjusting the height of said gripping head with respect to said supporting surface in a substantially vertical direction; characterized in that said actuating means are connected to said supporting portion over said supporting surface; and said adjusting means comprise a motor located beneath the supporting surface and acting on said stand.